Haileysfirstnotion rallied late to win his first added-money race, the $125,000 New Castle Handicap, on Friday, Sept. 11 at Delaware Park, scoring by a neck over Spikezone as the 3-10 favorite in the field of four.

Under Yedsit Hazlewood for trainer Gary Capuano, Daniel C. Crowley and Non Stop Stable's homebred broke unhurried to begin the six-furlong contest, sitting third, about a half-dozen lengths behind Spikezone, who led through an opening quarter-mile in :21.93.

Chipotle put pressure on Spikezone on the backstretch but gave way, as Haileysfirstnotion swung wide around the far turn and took aim. Spikezone was three lengths clear at the top of the stretch but Haileysfirstnotion was flying and ran him down in the final strides.

A 5-year-old gelded son of Great Notion, Haileysfirstnotion completed the distance in 1:09.93. Worse than third only once in 15 career starts, it was his seventh victory, which pushed his earnings to $373,860.

Unraced at 2, Haileysfirstnotion won the first two starts of his career in the spring of his sophomore season by daylight margins and tackled the Star de Naskra Stakes in his third start that June. Battling for the lead early, he weakened to finish off the board and wouldn't reappear until the following February.

Last year at 4, Haileysfirstnotion won allowances at Laurel and Delaware Park, missed by a nose in a $100,000 Delaware certified allowance, and concluded his season with a close third in the Maryland Million Sprint in October.

This year has been his best yet. After more than six months off, he returned on May 1 and drew away impressively to win a Laurel allowance by nearly eight lengths in 1:09.19. Sent out for his first graded stakes attempt, and he finished third 15 days later in a three-horse photo in the Maryland Sprint Stakes-G3 on Preakness Day at Laurel. In his third start in six weeks, he was caught late by Quint's Brew in Delaware Park's Alapocas Run Stakes in mid-June, finishing second after setting the pace.

Said Capuano prior to the New Castle: "Haileysfirstnotion always shows up. He has been training well, he has been consistent and he is tough. It is always exciting when he runs."

Haileysfirstnotion is the first foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Maryland-bred Hailey's Flip. Purchased as a yearling by Capuano for $17,000 and an earner of $381,227, the Archarcharch mare has two other foals of racing age -- Haileysfirstnotion's year-younger full brother Great Quality, and the Long River 3-year-old filly Doc's Miracle. The latter won last year's Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel, was stakes-placed three times, and recorded her first win this year on Sept. 10 in a Delaware allowance. Capuano entered Great Quality in the New Castle but scratched; the gelding is now entered in six-furlong allowance at Laurel on Sept. 18. The winner of three of nine starts, he has yet to test stakes company.

Hailey's Flip has a yearling filly by Maximus Mischief and didn't produce a foal when bred to Essential Quality for 2026. She was sent to Honor A. P. this year.